THE BLACK CULTIVATOR

A VOW AND MEMORIES

The red sand desert shimmered with residual heat even under the cover of night. Nearby beasts and smaller animals scurried into hiding as a majestic golden caravan moved swiftly across the dunes, leaving deep imprints in the shifting sand.

Massive spirit lions with flowing manes pulled luxurious carriages, while disciples clad in golden-brown robes embroidered with roaring lion emblems rode atop their own powerful spirit beasts.

At the forefront, a light-skinned man with a full-grown dark beard and piercing golden eyes—Elder Sung—suddenly let out a deep sigh.

"Strange... I sensed a great battle aura mixed with the fluctuations of a breakthrough earlier. Now it has completely vanished. Could someone have discovered a hidden realm within the Void Mountain?"

"Master, if it's a new secret realm or any other opportunity, then it belongs to us," replied a beautiful young woman beside him. She wore the elegant robes of an inner disciple and carried a long spear with practiced confidence.

Elder Sung nodded thoughtfully.

"The ancestor once spoke of treasures within these lands capable of propelling one's power beyond the Nascent Soul realm in an incredibly short time," Elder Hu added as he stepped forward, his deep brown aura radiating with suppressed might.

"Stay alert, everyone," Elder Sung commanded, clenching his fists. "Whoever caused that disturbance might still be nearby. If they are strong, recruit them. If they resist... kill them. We of the Lion Clan do not share opportunities."

The expedition picked up speed, cutting through the desert like a golden storm.

---

Back on the mountain, Chris remained unconscious, his breathing shallow and labored. Dried blood stained his torn robe as he lay motionless on the rocky ground.

The glowing archway of the Void Mountain pulsed gently beside him, almost as if watching over his broken body.

[Arrival Time: 1 Hour 47 Minutes.]

[Recommendation: Host Must Wake Up And Either Hide Or Prepare For A Possible Confrontation.]

[Warning: Lion Clan Is A Mid-tier Sect Under Zaria Sect. Their Elders Are Strong.]

A cool breeze swept over Chris’s body, carrying the faint, distant roar of spirit lions.

Suddenly, his body jerked violently. A traumatic memory flooded his mind:

"Gunshots shattered the quiet night in the neighborhood."

"Chris! Hide!" his mother screamed, desperately pushing him toward the back window.

Bullets ripped through the thin walls like deadly rain.

His mother shoved him down just as another deadly spray of gunfire tore through the room.

"JESUS!" she cried out in agony, blood spilling from her stomach and right shoulder.

"Mummy!" Chris yelled, his eyes wide with horror.

He crawled toward her, his heart pounding wildly. "Mama! No! Please stay with me!"

Another burst of gunfire tore through the room.

Chris fell to his knees, one hand pressed against his chest as blood poured uncontrollably from the wound. He collapsed beside his mother, blood filling his mouth.

Her trembling hand reached for him, her pupils beginning to dilate.

"Live... my pikin," she whispered weakly. (Live… my child…)

The light in her eyes faded away.

"Mom! Mom! Mama!" he roared, one hand frantically trying to stop the bleeding from his own chest.

The world around him faded as distant sirens wailed in the background.

---

Chris’s body jerked violently on the cold ground. Tears slid down the sides of his face as the painful memory burned through his mind like fire.

"Argh." His eyes snapped open with a sharp gasp.

He clutched his chest instinctively, breathing hard and ragged.

"Mama! Mama! Mama!" He crawled around desperately, blood still on his hands, screaming and shouting for a mother long gone.

[Host Has Regained Consciousness.]

[Healing Progress: 70%.]

[Warning: Lion Clan Expedition Team Arriving In 40 Minutes.]

Chris paused, sitting up slowly. Tears continued to drop from his chin as his knuckles turned white from the force of his grip.

"I NO GO DEY HELPLESS, EVER AGAIN," he vowed fiercely, blood still staining his hands. (I WILL NEVER BE HELPLESS EVER AGAIN.)

He gazed upward. The night sky stretched beautifully above him, dotted with stars. The corpses of dead Qi beasts lay scattered all around the battlefield.

The archway still pulsed peacefully nearby, as though it had been silently guarding his unconscious form the entire time.

He wiped the tears from his face while staring at the stars.

"Mummy... I don't know where you are. I don't know if you fit see me? But I never forget. I go live well. No matter how tough, I go become strong like you always prayed for." (Mummy… I don't know if you can see me? … I will live well. No matter how tough, I will become strong like you always prayed for.)

"I will become a God!" Chris declared, his voice steady. The last teardrop fell from his chin.

A dangerous, determined light returned to his eyes as he pushed himself to his feet.

"Ahhhh," he groaned. He jumped a few times to test his recovering body.

"I can feel my bones shifting and mending," he muttered, clenching his jaw against the lingering pain.

He turned his gaze toward the western desert. He could sense the powerful auras approaching rapidly.

[Warning: Lion Clan Expedition Team Arriving In 30 Minutes.]

"30 minutes?" Chris whispered, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Not enough time to run far," he sighed. "And right now, I don't feel like running anyway."

He glanced at the glowing archway, then back in the direction of the approaching Lion Clan.

A cold, ruthless smile formed on his bloody lips.

"I go fight una, but I no go die. God dey with me," the Naija youth said firmly. (I will fight you people, but I will not die. God is with me.)

He dragged himself a short distance away from the archway and hid behind a cluster of large boulders, using the limited time and strength he had left to set up a clever ambush.

Chris sat cross-legged and began circulating his Qi, absorbing the rich beast essence extracted from the cores around him. Sweat broke out across his entire body as power surged within.

His eyes glowed with a bright golden light.

---

[Lion Clan Expedition Has Arrived.]

Thirty disciples and three powerful Elders dismounted their spirit lions, their sharp eyes surveying the devastated area.

"Master, look! A hidden realm entrance!" Lira exclaimed, excitement lighting up her face.

Elder Sung stepped forward, his piercing gaze sweeping across the battlefield littered with beast corpses.

"Whoever killed this many beasts is quite powerful... and probably still around. Everyone, be on guard," he ordered, studying both the archway and the carnage.

Ten disciples moved closer to the archway to investigate.

"Watch out!" Elder Hu yelled in alarm.

It was too late.

Chris struck like lightning.

"SHEPE!"

[Voice Of The Streets Activated.]

The powerful sonic wave slammed into the group at point-blank range before they could react.

Chris went all out—unleashing **Pressure Of Tinubu!** **Shield Of Shege!** and **One Blade, Ten Thousand Cries!**—in rapid, devastating succession.

In just three intense minutes, all ten disciples lay dead. Their bodies were severed or crushed beyond recognition, and the heavy smell of fresh blood filled the air.

The remaining members of the expedition stood stunned.

"Insolent bastard!" Elder Sung roared, his aura exploding outward like a golden storm.

The Naija youth’s chest rose and fell heavily, blood dripping steadily from his mouth.

Slowly, his feet shifted backward.

"Kill the brat!" Elder Hu commanded.

"Wait!" Elder Sung raised his hand, halting everyone from attacking immediately.

For a tense moment, Chris and Elder Sung locked eyes across the battlefield. Bloodlust poured from both of them, thick enough to choke the air itself.

Dark clouds gathered overhead. Thunder boomed violently.

And then, the rain began to pour down in heavy sheets.